A Little Better Today

I seem to be past the worst of the cold, the back, well that still may be another matter. I’m trying not to be an alarmist, but at the same time I’m trying to make sure that I get the results I desire — if at all possible.

Yesterday’s Daily ChallengeHave a good laugh with someone, or remember a funny thing that happened to you.

Laughter IS the best medicine! When we laugh, we stretch the muscles in our face and body, breathe faster, and take in more oxygen. Laughing can provide an emotional and spiritual release and lower stress. A good guffaw may even strengthen the immune system and increase memory and creativity.

Remember that time I thought that I could achieve happiness and went through the pain and struggle of trying to remove those cysts from my back? Whoa, now that was a riot! 🙁

Receive Bill. Pay Bill.
I didn’t get home until 8:00pm last night — how’d that happen? — and when I did it was time to pay “The Man,” or “The Men” as my case may have been:
Lab work for the physical in March. PAID!
Half a year’s car insurance. PAID!
American Express. PAID!
A Better Gutter Cleaning (for the service performed Monday). PAID!
(Partial?) Surgeon bill (I’m sure the hospital will be asking for their’s soon). UNPAID! (I’ll be mailing my payment today — how quaint)

It seems that all I am doing these days is receiving bills and turning around and paying them. Lest you think that I am a complete ingrate, I am rather thankful that I can pay these bills in full.

Stats & GoalsDailyCurrent Mood – I’m back (no pun intended) to “meh” — which admittedly is better than where I was yesterday.Current Music – nothing currently, though I can foresee myself listening to that GASHCAT record again today. I meant to buy it last night, but the other bill paying got in the way.Website Of The Day – I plan to subject my coworkers to a Creamy Crock Pot Spaghetti experiment for tomorrow’s lunch.Mode Of Transportation To Work – my carExercise (b)Log – nothingMorning Weigh-In – I’ll be checking sometime today. I’m rather flabby since I’ve not walked for two weeks and I’ve not exactly been curtailing food and/or alcohol

April Goals
– Lose at least three pounds (net weight loss)
– Completely recover from my sebaceous cyst surgery
– Exercise for thirty minutes no fewer than twenty days
– Not to get sick for the entire month (may be a moot point as of today)
– Eat vegetarian no fewer than ten days
– Not get fired from my job, nor quit my job
– Follow up with doctors, lawyer, women in whom I have interest
– Go out on a least one date with a woman in whom I have interest
– Watch all of the classes in the 2011 Winter semester of Stanford’s CS193P (iOS Development) course

2012 Goals [will be a little less fluid than last year]
– Get my weight under 200 pounds, or at least whittle myself back down to where wearing a 36″ pant size is comfortable
– Completely read ten books, audio books permissible
– Run Sharpened Stone as a real business
– Save $500 for the sole purpose of donating to charitable organizations of my choice
– Attend at least one professional photography workshop
– Ride in no fewer than five 50 mile or 50K bike rides
– Run in no fewer than one one 10K
– Submit at least one application under the name “Sharpened Stone” to Apple’s iOS store
– Restore the ITP Estate to a condition where it can be put up for sale at any time
– Buy a new iPhone (iPhone 5?), a new iPad (iPad 3?), and MacBook Air [look, not all goals have to be altruistic]

The Unmeasurable
– Continue backing up all data, including the off-site storage
– Become a proficient and profitable programmer in Objective-C
– Do not create a solution for something which is not a problem
– Eat smaller portions
– Start, and continue, to make my own bread using my bread machine as well as using the technique outlined in Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking
– Read and discard magazines during the month in which they arrive (even digitally)
– See more live concerts than I did in 2011
– Eat more pancakes
– Drive/Fly somewhere for a real vacation

I have a $500 deductible but preventative care is not included. I reached my deductible after a few visits to Dr Sadri for my leg, now it’s only $15-20 a visit.

I was planning of a work at home day today…but my boss’s boss is in town and wants to meet…so here I am at the office.

I’ve been fighting something for the past few days, I think I got ahead of it with some spicy pho and a little rest. I’m still exhausted, but that could be from going around it circles at Stone Mountain last night.

Well my family tree got a little thinner last night, my uncle died (not the uncle with stage IV liver failure). I never met him, him and my aunt (dad’s sister) divorced long ago and they lived in Maine…but still too much of this sort of stuff has been happening over the past couple of years.

but Paulie- I’m guessing whatever premium you pay for your insurance is pretty stinking low compared to the rest of us.
Since Allan & I are rarely sick (knocking on wood right now) your plan might actually save us a bunch of money.

I want to ride after work tonight, we will see if we can get our butts on the bike…….

I love working for a health care company, we have a “wellness” program where annual physicals and health screenings are free. Plus if you get a physical and screening you get discounts on your insurance premium. You get additional discounts for doing things like running races, wearing a pedometer and tracking your exercise. All a big drive to keep you healthy. Good stuff.

I know I pay for the top shelf insurance here- got to support those cycling sponsors (United Health Care) although after this weekend, I have to think twice. I’m sure when it all comes down to the end, we’re all paying about the same. Which reminds me I need to schedule my physical.. and find a new primary care physician. I hate outliving my doctors, although this last one finally retired at age 75.. what a pistol.